This invention relates to collapsible boats. It pertains particularly to a collapsible boat which may be folded into small compass for transportation to the use site and storage between uses.
It is the general purpose of the present invention to provide a collapsible, foldable boat which, in the transportation and storage mode is compact, lightweight, and readily portable; which, at the use site, may be assembled easily and rapidly; which is rigid, stable and safe in use; which is sturdy, durable and easy to maintain; which is easy to row or paddle; which is adaptable for use with a small outboard motor; which, considering its size and weight, has a high load carrying capacity; which is seamless and does not leak; and which, after each use, can be collapsed and folded simply, easily and with a minimum of effort.
The boat achieving the foregoing objects and possessing the foregoing advantages, broadly stated, comprises a plurality of waterproof structural plates arranged in spaced relation to each other in the form of a boat hull which may be defined by a bottom, a forward deck, a rear deck, side decks, and a central cockpit. The plates are arranged in spaced longitudinal and transverse rows to enable folding the boat in its collapsed condition both longitudinally and transversely, ensuring a small overall dimension of the folded article. Fore and aft bulkhead members, a keelboard, and side rails interlock releasably with the plate members comprising the hull to lend rigidity and stability to the boat in its assembled condition.